


Warmth

by terriblush



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 14:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14058849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terriblush/pseuds/terriblush
Summary: They're stuck on Voeld for the night. We all know how this goes.Classic fluff. Rated T for language and violence.





	Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> The tumblr thread that inspired this: https://avaquetv2.tumblr.com/post/171349343920/jaal-would-totally-pet-ryder-unknowingly-because
> 
> Shelesh words are from in game.
> 
> arataan: "shelter from the dark"  
> voanara: "sunsilk"

“Stupid fucking _ice storms_ and stupid fucking _kett_ and stupid fucking _Voeld_ —”

Ryder was stomping around in a circle near a sunlamp in Techiix. Today was supposed to have been straightforward. She had gone out with Drack and Jaal to clear a few kett installations. Mopping up after the successful assault on the base.

Then they’d found a dead angara fitted with a _fucking tracking chip_ like an _animal_. Jaal's rage had been frozen and thunderous. She and Drack hadn't reacted well either.

That discovery sent them on a macabre scavenger hunt all over the god damned place. SAM had been able to parse the tracking signal from her scans of the chip, and they'd found five others within transmission range.

Jaal had called Hjara Station to retrieve the body and they'd set off to find the others.

They slogged through grueling, freezing combat for hours and found four more bodies. One only hours dead. That had taken a piece out of her. All were tagged for retrieval. A storm had started soon after they found the second body. Jaal predicted a blizzard strong enough to make travel dangerous before nightfall. Thankfully, Voeld has 30 hour days so we have plenty of time, she'd thought. Like a fucking idiot.

They finally, _finally_ managed to save one person, after _two fucking shuttles full_ of fucking kett assholes tried to take them out. Drack completely ran out of rounds for his flak cannon and had deep gouges on all his prosthetics. Jaal ran out of grenades and was avoiding close strikes because he wasn't able to discharge at combat strength any longer. Ryder started to feel heat and dizziness every time she pushed her biotics and then her _fucking shotgun jammed._

She killed the last kett with only her omni blade and _rage_ , but she _fucking did it_. They'd done it. Two whole damned _squads_ of kett and they were still standing. The satisfaction was enough to warm her a little.

The man they’d rescued, Maarevet, was very philosophical about the whole “new aliens” concept.

“Well, you're not skkutting _kett_ and I saw you stab one through the back of the neck, so that's good enough for now.” They'd brought him along and he'd practically inhaled two tubes of nutrient paste on the way.

The storm was brutal by that point, and the light had started to fade. They made their way to the nearest safe harbor, Techiix, in twice the time it would have normally taken them, and then the day was finally _over_.

Ten. Fucking. Hours.

Ryder had avoided frostbite thanks to excellent armor, taking cover near as many sunlamps as she could, and SAM monitoring her circulation. She was still extremely uncomfortable, bruised, and felt abrasions all over her body from patches of dried and frozen sweat.

Drack had gone from relishing the pure destruction, to just dealing with it, to looking grim and creaky by the end of the day.

Jaal had managed the best of all of them, having acclimated during his years of being stationed on Voeld. He was exhausted, but in much better health than Drack and much better suited to the cold than Ryder.

There was no way they were getting the Tempest through the storm, and they'd all just experienced it in the nomad and had no desire to try it again. Luckily, there were a few empty beds available in Techiix, and angara generally didn't mind doubling up with friends. So they'd sent notice to the Tempest that they were stuck groundside for the night and grabbed their emergency supplies out of the nomad.

Mariv Haalsa, the angara who ran the...guest shelter?...had been concerned that they didn't really have any beds that would accommodate a krogan, but Drack didn't give a damn. “Sure, I’m old, but I'm still a _krogan_ ,” he’d snorted. “Some calories and a flat place out of the wind’s good enough for one night.” He'd had a couple emergency ration packs and some water, then curled up in a corner with some blankets and fell asleep.

Jaal was working with a few Resistance engineers to try and at least deactivate Maarevet's tracker. SAM had tactfully sent Jaal a message with information instead of offering direct assistance.

Ryder had nothing to do right now other than gripe, and since she was alone and fucking miserable she was taking full advantage of the opportunity. She was _frozen_ and _disgusting_ and all she wanted was to _go_ _home_. And she couldn't. Because of the fucking _ice storms_ and fucking _kett_ and fucking _Voeld_.

“Why the fuck did we even reset the fucking useless vault if the planet’s still gonna attack with ball shattering fucking ice storms,” she grumbled to herself and gently hopped.

“Pathfinder, the storms are partially caused by the global average temperature rising from out of an ice age, meaning—” SAM started.

“I _know_ what it means and I know it's my own damned fault or well, no one's really, but it just fucking figures that in a new galaxy with magic alien terraforming tech I'd still have to deal with _shitty_ _weather_ on top of everything else. Just lemme bitch. It's good for my circulation.”

“It actually has no quantitative—”

“Goddamn it SAM, I will turn your ass _off_ and I will find a way to program a randomly triggered infinite loop of _The Song That Doesn't End_ somewhere deep in your psyche.”

“...acknowledged.”

She stomped around a little more, considering how to sleep without _fucking freezing_.

 

* * *

 

Jaal was tired, but feeling much better.

The day had been punishing, but they had saved one person and destroyed a number of small kett footholds.

With SAM’s information on the design and transmission frequencies, they’d managed to deactivate the transmitter in the kett tracking device as well. Maarevet had been able to send a message to his family while they were working on it, and now he was resting in the infirmary. He’d be transported to Aya for surgery, then back home to Havarl. Jaal had shared a relieved and hopeful exchange of bioelectricity with him before he left.

He took a deep breath of the clear bracing air and smiled. He’d had many worse days on Voeld.

Drack and Ryder hadn’t handled it quite as well.

Drack had been moving slowly by the time they’d gotten to Techiix, but he was dismissive of any concern. Jaal expected Lexi to fuss over him once they returned to the Tempest.

Ryder...Jaal sighed. She’d gotten quieter and _fiercer_ as the day went on and they found no survivors. He’d expected that would be the case, and would have been satisfied with retrieving the bodies and learning more about the tracking devices. Rescuing Maarevet had been a very pleasant bonus, even with the dozens of kett attacking them while their resources dwindled.

He shivered, remembering how near the end Ryder had run _straight_ _toward_ a destined kett that had made its way into the cave. He’d been alarmed, but he and Drack had been caught up taking down an anointed. When it finally fell and he followed her ping on his radar, he’d turned with his rifle up, ready to help.

She hadn’t needed it.

The destined had been doubled over, staggered by some blow. Ryder moved with brutal efficiency, her knee coming up and smashing into its face while she grabbed the top of its bony crest in one hand. She wrenched it forward, exposing the unarmored space on the back of its neck and punched downward with vicious force and a guttural yell. She’d shoved her omni blade completely through and out the middle of its chest. Then she’d grunted, twisted, and jerked the blade outward, slicing the kett open along the edge of its green armor plating.

She dropped it on the ice, shoved it away with her foot, and shook the gore from her omni blade as she pivoted. She held herself in a crouch while looking for a new enemy, only relaxing and recycling her blade when she realized they were clear. When she removed her helmet, her face had been flushed, her eyes bright, and her teeth bared in a ferocious, triumphant grin. She’d looked over at them and laughed in relief, shaking her head to clear her sweaty hair from her face.

Jaal stared, only realizing his mouth was open when he started to feel the ache of cold exposure on his teeth.

Drack growled low behind him. “Shit,” he’d said, impressed. “Makes me wish I was a few centuries younger.”

Jaal had closed his mouth and headed to release the captive angara.

It hadn’t been the first time he’d noticed Ryder’s... _fortitude_ , but he’d been shaken. By her tenacity. By its allure. By the beauty of her rage.

It was both familiar and alien. She held a raw passion that had been worn down in the angara through generations of warfare. Her fresh energy was almost naive, but invigorating and validating. In the field with her, he was slightly comforted by the knowledge that at least they were not alone in their fury at kett violations. At other times she stifled it, swallowed it, folded it and put it away with her armor until she needed it again.

Jaal found himself drawn toward her, again and again, seeking out understanding of how she saw the universe, and why she saw it that way. How she wanted to change it. At first it was curiosity, then friendship. Now a certain familiar warmth had started to take hold in his chest, and he was still unsure what to do with that realization.

He rounded a corner and saw her huddled near the _arataan_ , tucked between the back door and a sunlamp. She was fidgeting and looking absolutely miserable. He heard her quietly grumbling as he walked up.

“It’s too cold to stay _still_ , it’s too cold to _sleep_ , it’s too cold to _wash_ _up_ and I am _disgusting_ , and _I fucking hate Voeld!”_ Ryder hissed vehemently, stomping in place and turning to put her back to the warmth. She startled and looked embarrassed when she saw him walking up, but Jaal smiled.

“Maybe you’ll be a little more understanding the next time you bring me to Kadara, then, hmm, Ryder?” he asked.

She smiled and shook her head. “I’ve told you, you can stay on the ship unless I really need you for missions. Just like I don’t bring Vetra to Voeld unless absolutely necessary.”

“True, but if I stayed on the ship, I might miss something,” he said. She laughed, then shivered.

“Why are you outside, if you’re cold?” Jaal stepped to the side to block some of the cold for her. She gratefully scooted closer.

“It’s not much better inside, and I didn’t want to keep people awake,” she shrugged.

He blinked in surprise. “Aren’t you tired as well?” he asked, “Why don’t you just go to bed?”

She made an uncomfortable face. “Well, it’s…” she sighed, “I stowed my hard plate in the nomad, so I feel even colder than before, and I’m still dirty from the field, but it’s too damn _cold_ for me to clean up, so I think I’d probably just be uncomfortable anyway. I figure I’ll stay up until I just can’t anymore so I’ll go to sleep quickly.”

He frowned, but nodded in sympathy.

“You’re sure it’s too cold for you to wash up? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you using the bathing facilities. There are sunlamps there as well. I’ve just come from them,” he said, indicating his bag of supplies, “and they’re in the warmest part of the cave.”

“Ok, I’m not _really_ _sure,_ but I’m dreading the idea of it in these temperatures, then walking through an icy cave partially damp, and then curling up in a freezing bed. I’m just...trying to decide which would make me less miserable. And whining about it,” she looked up at him and shrugged again. “I’ll be ok. Discomfort won’t kill me.”

“Oh. Well, why don’t we sleep together?” he offered. He knew humans preferred to sleep individually or with romantic partners, but assumed pragmatism would win out since she was so obviously uncomfortable in these temperatures. He must have forgotten something though, because her eyes widened and she froze.

Jaal suddenly remembered that Liam had said that phrase sometimes had a double meaning for humans. _Oh_. His eyes widened as well as his mind flashed through the idea. Then he caught her awkward expression and rushed to shove the unbidden thoughts away.

“I’m sorry, I forgot that phrase can be an invitation to couple in your language. I just meant you might be warmer next to someone. I didn’t intend to make you uncomfortable.”

Ryder laughed and some of her tension faded. “Oh, I know, don’t worry. You didn’t even really say that, I mean, the emphasis has to be on...” she cleared her throat, “Anyway, that’s kind of you to offer, and I gotta say, it is tempting. I mean...shit. I meant—” she flushed.

Jaal laughed suddenly as well. “I understand, Ryder,” he said warmly, resting his hand on her shoulder. She shivered again and turned to warm another side of her body. He let his hand drop. She closed her eyes and rubbed her arms.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and her lips wrinkled hard. She raised her shoulders and seemed to wince as she asked, “Are you _sure_ you wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not,” he said in surprise. She glanced up again. “Angara sleep in the same beds as our friends quite often,” he shrugged, then smiled at her, “And if you’d be uncomfortable, don’t worry about it. I won’t be insulted.” She rolled her eyes.

She took a bracing breath and reached to grab the bag by her feet. She looked up with a smile. “Well, alright. Can you show me the way to the baths, then? I’m definitely not going to impose on your generosity when I’m this filthy.”

He nodded and waved for her to follow him.

Just past the merchants’ booths, there was an entrance to a tunnel carved deep into the cave. It split into two caverns, one for bathing that could accommodate up to eight angara at a time. It was empty when they walked in.

“You guys like cold water, right?” Ryder asked nervously.

Jaal chuckled. “The water here is heated with geothermal energy to about 40 degrees Celsius. That’s hardly cold.”

Ryder flinched. “That’s barely warmer than our body temperature.”

“It’s comfortable for us,” he shrugged.

She shivered and started taking off her gloves. “Aliens are weird,” she teased, glancing up sideways.

He frowned thoughtfully. “A bit,” he nodded, shrugging, “but you’re here now, so I suppose we’re stuck with you.”

Ryder let out a peal of laughter. “I deserved that,” she conceded while she rummaged in her bag. She drew out a small tube of soap and a rather thin towel, then sat on a bench to remove her boots.

She went over to examine a shower nozzle with her scanner. She hummed, nodded, and came back.

“What are you _doing,_ Ryder?”

“Improvising,” she said, digging into her bag again and pulling out a small flashlight, which she also scanned. “Yes! _Aluminum_. _Now_ we're cooking.”

“What?”

She waved a hand dismissively and didn’t look up from her work. “Idiom.”

He sighed and leaned on the wall to watch her. First, she disassembled the flashlight and set aside the power source, some of the wiring, and the hollow aluminum shell. The rest got tossed back into her bag. She opened a program on her omnitool and her fingers danced across the interface, twisting and forming shapes before she was happy with them. Then she slipped off her omnitool bracelet and set it on the bench to fabricate. The first thing she made was a coil of thick wire which she slid into the aluminum tube. She attached the power source to the end of the coil with the wires salvaged from her flashlight.

Jaal suddenly realized what she was doing, and the insulating ceramic and plastic sleeve her omnitool was currently building confirmed his suspicions. He started chuckling.

“We have a saying,” Ryder said with a grin. “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

“I wouldn’t call this necessary, Ryder,” he said. “You could have been clean and warm in bed already.”

“First of all, no. I would have been a clean icicle stuck to the floor of the bathroom,” she said, waving her hand dramatically. “You guys would still be chipping me out.” Jaal coughed skeptically. “Second,” she said, smirking up at him and moving her eyebrows, “if you’re trying to talk me into bed, you’re gonna have to work harder than that.”

His eyes widened, but she quickly looked away without meeting his gaze. She continued working with a smile and he glanced over her face thoughtfully.

Her skin seemed irritated by the cold. Dryer and inflamed. Her lips were chapped and she kept absently chewing on them while she worked. Her hair was more...chaotic?...than usual, individual strands twisted and curled around each other in ways he hadn't noticed before. Some stuck out from the group at different angles. He wondered if cleanliness affected it, or something else. She ran her hand through it absently, and got caught on a blockage. She made an irritated face and shook her hand loose, then went back to her work.

Her omnitool chirped when the insulating case was complete. She went to the nearest shower head and used the case to clip it around the metal pipe.

“How are you going to make sure it doesn’t get too hot?” Jaal asked.

She pointed to a switch on the side of the case. “If that happens, I can use this to break the connection to the battery and then just take it off the pipe. I’d have to wait for it to cool and reassemble it to turn it back on. Ugly, but it works. I’m not going to expect more from five minutes of work.”

He nodded.

Ryder started fiddling with her hands, then cleared her throat. “Um, would you look away, please? It’s um...a...privacy...thing.” Her hands gestured toward herself nervously. Jaal blinked in confusion, then understood.

“Oh! I see.” He cleared his throat. “Please excuse me,” he said, turning away, “would you prefer if I waited outside?”

“Thanks...and no, but you don’t have to wait for me at all, really,” she said.

“But then who will chip you loose if you freeze to the floor?” he asked over his shoulder.

She snorted and laughed.

Movement and shuffling, a hiss of pain, more shuffling, the sound of a UV beam from her omnitool, more shuffling, a loud flap of her undersuit, a hum of satisfaction, and soft footsteps walking away. The water turned on, there were a few tentative splashes, and then a long groan of relief.

Jaal chuckled and sat on the bench next to her things. He crossed his arms and kept his gaze on his legs, stretched out next to his bag. “Your improvisation was successful?” he called.

“Yeah,” she sighed happily.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, is it bathing or nudity in general that humans prefer privacy for?”

“General nudity. Lots of...cultural stuff. Different comfort levels depending on the person or culture.”

“But then, why are the showers on the Tempest communal?”

“Efficiency...military influence...space constraints...and we’re the only ones who really care about it, so I’d guess the rest of the Initiative outvoted us.”

He hummed and nodded.

Steam gradually built from the heat of her shower. Jaal was just starting to get uncomfortable enough that he was considering waiting outside anyway when the water shut off. He heard a few clicks, a shuffle, and damp footsteps, then she was vigorously drying herself while hissing through her teeth.

“Ye-ep, this is re-ally fucking co-old…” Ryder chanted under her breath. He saw the towel drop in his peripheral vision. She rummaged around and started hopping into her hastily sanitized undersuit with a few grumbled curses. “Ok, I’m done,” she said in a shivering voice.

Jaal turned to look at her when she sat next to him to pull on her boots. She considered her gloves while rubbing the towel over her hair thoughtfully, then decided to stuff them into her bag. Her towel was left thrown over her head, but a chunk of her hair swung loose as she bent over. It was longer than usual when it was wet, ending further past her chin. He was reaching for it before he considered what he was doing.

It was damp, trapping water like a sponge or moss. Water soaked into his gloves when he squeezed it between his fingers. He thought of grass that grew underwater on Havarl, and how it flowed delicately when rooted but hung in heavy sheets when dredged up.

She turned to him with a curious expression, and he realized he hadn’t asked her permission. “I’m sorry,” he said with a small gasp, pulling his hand away quickly.

“It’s ok,” she said, reaching up to fluff it with the towel. “I don’t mind if you touch my hair. It’s pretty familiar, though, so I wouldn’t suggest just petting humans in general. It’s a personal space thing, and there are times when it’s rude or inappropriate.” She glanced up with a smile. He felt himself smile back while restlessness bloomed in his chest.

Ryder applied a cream to her face and hands, then turned her head to the side and squeezed the towel around the ends of her hair. She dug in her bag again to pull out a small plastic tool that she started working through her hair, starting at the tips.

“It’s probably warmer at the _arataan_ ,” Jaal suggested.

“Still trying to talk me into bed?” she smirked.

He shrugged. “It’s for your benefit, Ryder.”

“ _And_ overly confident, I see.”

Jaal shook his head while he stood. “If I had known teasing was to be my only thanks, I wouldn’t have suggested it,” he said, crossing his arms and tilting his head.

Ryder gasped and left her mouth agape. “Jaal, that’s _heartless_ , leaving a tiny, frail human to face the cruel winds of Voeld alone!”

He laughed hard, bending over slightly and leaning on the wall. “You? Frail? That’s what you’re going with? Really, Ryder?”

She shrugged and grinned again. “Worth a shot,” she said, grabbing her bag as she stood.

Her makeshift heater had been left open and exposed to the air, so it was already cool to the touch. She dropped the components and her damp towel into the communal refabricator at the _arataan_ before heading to the empty bunk closest to the sunlamp. Ryder turned to him with her eyebrows raised and he nodded. She put her bag underneath the bed after removing an Initiative emergency blanket. He slid his bag beside it.

Ryder sat carefully and quietly slid off her boots, silently tucking them under the bed as well. She winced when Jaal put his gloves and shoes on the floor and jumped when he asked, “What is it?”

 _“You’re being really loud,”_ she whispered.

“Am I?” he said, surprised. He didn’t think he’d been making more noise than usual, and no one seemed disturbed. He looked around at the sleeping angara and Drack in the corner, then back to her, puzzled. Confusion was starting to bloom on her face.

 _“Oh,”_ she whispered again. _“Humans are disturbed by noises when we’re asleep. You guys aren’t?”_

“Not all noises, or ones we are familiar with. The sounds of other people shuffling around or speaking near us usually aren’t threats, so unless we’ve been conditioned to treat them that way, they don’t trigger any response when we’re asleep.”

“That’s...convenient,” Ryder said, still quieter than she normally would.

Jaal shrugged and climbed over near the wall so she could be closer to the lamp. He considered, then unfastened his _rofjinn_ and tucked it around her shoulders.

She looked down at it, then up in surprise. “I thought your _rofjinn_ were really culturally significant,” she said.

He gave her a crooked smile and tilted his head toward her. “Would _you_ want Liam borrowing your clothes and never returning them? I have many siblings and I have learned my lesson well. I only own two of these.”

Ryder snickered, muffling it in her hand until she quieted. She was working the tool through her hair again. It caught the warm glow and shone deeply in the light. He felt the urge to touch it again, which he ignored.

“Thank you,” she said. “Now you might be in danger of _me_ borrowing your clothes and never returning them, though,” she teased. “This is really warm and soft.” She had a relaxed smile on her face and the restlessness he’d felt before came back. Jaal suddenly wasn’t sure what to do with his hands.

“I have a cloak,” he shrugged. “I could just retrieve it.”

“That only works if ever I take it off,” she said over her shoulder. “I’m warning you now, it’s going to be a struggle getting it back from me before we leave the planet.”

Jaal smiled and reached to pull the blankets up. He spread her emergency blanket over the top and snuggled down. The bed was large enough to fit two angara if necessary, so there was plenty of room for her next to him.

He sighed in relief as he settled, allowing warmth and relaxation to seep through his body. Ryder was still sitting up, methodically making her way through her hair. She’d occasionally wince when she hit a snarl, then work through a little slower before moving on. The warmth he wasn’t sure what to do with wandered into his thoughts while he watched her: sitting placidly in the warm light, tucked into his _rofjinn_ , relaxed and grooming herself. He wondered...he felt himself start to flush while his heart rate sped up.

He wasn’t sure how long he watched her, but his energy fluttered in anticipation when she stopped and stretched with a yawn. She leaned down to tuck the grooming tool into her bag and ran her fingers through her hair with her head upside down. When she sat up, he saw it was starting to fluff back out to its usual texture.

Ryder glanced up to his face and smiled when their eyes met. He smiled back. She cleared her throat before taking a deep breath and crawling under the blankets with him. He lay still and made sure to draw his energy in to keep from startling her or making her uncomfortable. She carefully settled, cautiously tucking her hands between them and her feet near his legs. When she felt his warmth, she scooted closer with slightly more enthusiasm.

“Wow, you really _are_ warm,” she said, pulling the covers up over her ears. Jaal huffed and slid his hand over her back to warm her. She shivered and hummed, then spoke into his chest. “Thank you, Jaal. I feel _so_ much better.”

He smiled and tucked his arm under his head and a cushion behind his cowl. “You’re welcome, Ryder,” he said. “Go to sleep.”

She yawned again. “Already am. _Shh_. You’ll wake the human.”

He chuckled softly and heard a small waver in the contented breath she let out. He was still touching her back and he could feel her getting warmer under his hand. The warmth spread as he moved upward and happily dozed.

Jaal hadn’t realized how much he’d been _craving_ touch until right now. He’d been so busy since joining the Tempest crew that he hadn’t taken time to think about it. Tension he hadn’t noticed was there started to fade from his muscles and his bioelectric field. He sighed in relief as he absently moved his hand up to the back of her neck. She felt so unnervingly _small_. He could feel dense strength under the softness of her skin, but her neck still felt delicate, vulnerable. He smiled and let a short puff of amusement out through his nose, realizing that less than an hour ago he was laughing at the idea of her being called frail. It helped put his thoughts in perspective.

She was very different, but strong, graceful...and beautiful. He still wasn’t sure what he would do about these ideas swirling through him, but they were persistent enough that he had to at least admit they were there. He shivered and caressed the softness of her neck up onto her scalp, hoping he wasn’t crossing any boundaries or being impolite. He didn’t _think_ he was. She was _right here,_ and warm, and _soft,_ and he just...didn’t want to stop touching her. He should, though. Even though she’d said she didn’t mind. He sighed, then allowed himself one last moment of indulgence, gently pressing into her scalp and moving his hand up through her hair.

 _“Mmmm,”_ she hummed, deep and content, and slid one of her arms over his side. Her fingers gently curled into the dip along his spine. Her legs moved closer to his, one deftly slipping between them and hooking around his knee. She squeezed him with her arm and leg and relaxed again.

Jaal held his breath for a few seconds, trying to get his bearings. It had been... _too long_...since he’d shared a bed with someone out of anything other than familial affection or perfunctory necessity. A involuntary shuddering pulse ran through his field, and he silently winced in embarrassment. Ryder quietly hummed and pulled herself closer with a shiver.

Jaal closed his eyes tightly and bit his tongue hard.

 _Ancestors guide me, I am stronger than this._ She was his _friend_ and she _trusted_ _him_ and she was _asleep_. With her _dense, powerful thigh_ between his legs.

_Skkut._

He breathed slowly and deliberately, trying to relax into the quiet soft place he had been floating in before. His fingertips moved softly, aimlessly against her scalp, and he started gently parting and lifting the strands, watching how the light moved along them. He comforted himself with the idea that she would probably be more comfortable if her hair was dry, and he was slightly helping the process along...he sighed.

 _There’s no reason to lie to myself._ Jaal just...wanted to touch her. He hoped...he wanted...he should stop.

He pulled his hand away carefully, and she made a small unhappy sound, barely audible. He stopped, then slowly rested his hand against the crown of her head. She sighed, tension leaving her muscles.

Jaal smiled and cupped her head, gently stroking from the top down to the nape of her neck a few times. She felt like warm _voanara,_ and she hummed happily whenever he touched her.

_She is asleep. It doesn’t matter what she seems to want right now._

It was so difficult to pull away, but he did, after one small affectionate caress of energy from his fingertips to her scalp. He settled his hand on the middle of her back, where he had been before, and took a slow calming breath.

 _Maybe...I should...consider this more seriously._ When they got back to the ship, he would send a message to his true mother. Sahuna always provided helpful, comforting advice. He smiled and sighed deeply, settling again, starting to drift and doze.

“Mmmm, that was nice, why’d you stop?” Ryder quietly mumbled.

Jaal immediately tensed again. His eyes opened in shock and stared down at the top of her head for a few seconds before finding his breath.

 _“Ryder!_ You were awake the _entire time? I thought you were asleep,”_ he hissed.

She chuckled into his chest and scooted upward, then looked up with a soft smile, sleepy eyes, and slightly mussed hair.

_Skkut._

“How else was I supposed to get away with this?” she asked, squeezing her arm and leg around him.

“You…” he blinked at her in surprise, then whispered in shock, “I was _agonizing_ over whether I was trespassing, and you were _awake the entire time!”_

“Yes, and if you notice...I’m still right here,” she said. Her voice had dipped, gotten rougher, deeper, more...challenging. She was watching him with the same sleepy, contented expression. A shiver ran down his spine and nearly out through his field before he stopped it. He stared. Swallowed hard.

“Uh…” he managed.

“Did I trespass?” she asked softly.

“No,” he whispered, caressing her hair again, sighing at the soft slide over his hand.

 _“Mmmm_...good,” she said, squeezing him again and closing her eyes, “because this is nice.”

Jaal smiled as he let out a shuddering chuckle. His breath was warm over her scalp and she hummed happily. “Yes, it is,” he whispered, carefully pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. She squeezed him in response and, finally, truly relaxed, they sank into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't add this scene because it didn't fit the tone, but imagine: Drack finds them like that the next morning, takes a picture, sends it to the whole crew. y/y? :D


End file.
